Finding Work and Getting Paid: Predictors of Success in the Mass Communications Job Market.

Becker, Lee B.; And Others

A study investigated the determinants of success in occupational entry for persons trained specifically for work in mass communications. Two separate criteria were used to judge success in entry: actual employment and salary and fringe benefits, earned upon employment. Subjects, 2,171 recipients of bachelor's degrees from 77 programs in journalism and mass communications in the United States, completed a 5-page survey instrument. Results showed that graduates' college experiences in media organizations (internship or working on college media), specialization in any area of study, and grade point average were all positively associated with finding a job. Results further indicated that prior experience with the employer was a positive predictor of salary, whereas a generalized job-seeking strategy and gender (female) were negative predictors of salary. Women, however, were more likely to have a job with a large number of benefits than were men. (Three tables of data and 29 notes are included.) (Author/SR)